Newbie - Lessons learned so far...

Hey everyone,

complete newbie here. Ive got 4 lessons under my belt, or 7 hours. Have never wakeboarded or done any sort of skiing before. Learnt how to stand up surf about 10 years ago but could never do turns.

My fat arse has had 3 hours worth of water-starting and so far ive only had 2 rides that went about 50-100m each. Was great fun until i inevitably stacked it and flushed out my sinuses again. My abs were sore for a week after my last 2 hour lesson! Anyway about to buy some 2nd hand gear and head out on Saturday. So far have only kited on the river. Hope to have waterstarts nailed before the end of this season.

Cheers Harley, really well put together. Definitely something I'll consider!

Back home in Sydney after a few months off with very few kite sessions.

Had an awesome session (#9) at Botany today, it was a beautiful day. Lots of lessons:

- Had a great time working out the relationship between yanking on the bar and how it directly affects speed. It seems dumb I hadn't noticed this before, but just feathering the bar in and out makes a significant difference.

- Playing with that for a while led to... *drum roll* CONSISTENT UPWIND RIDING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS! No more walk of shame. I didn't even realise what I was doing, I was just messing with edging and bar pull and then realised I was upwind of where I had started. Such a good feeling, it was weird how it just clicked and went from seemingly impossible to dead easy. Looking forward to more of those moments for sure!

- With that checked off, I moved onto slide turns. Timing is still a little iffy but I'd say I had them 7/10 times. I must have looked like a bit of a muppet to everyone out there, going 50m left, turning around, 50m right, turning around, 50m left, falling in... But it was worth it.

- My brain seems to love keeping the kite super low in the power zone. I need to train myself out of that, it causes so many problems from safety of others through to getting yanked in gusts.

With those basics more or less locked in I'm feeling so much better. I'm keen to keep working on those skills, next up carving turns and jumping!

I'm at a point where it's rare that the kite gets wet during a session. I get the feeling that's going to change...

Brighton again today. Wind was really borderline on a 10.5.

I ended up just smashing out a downwinder from first carpark to Dolls. Even then I was having to near constant downloops. It didn't help that the wind was swinging more and more East as I went down.

Lessons:

- Downloop waterstarts are awesome. Definitely gives you a healthy appreciation for just how bad a deathlooping kite could be.

- if nothing is making sense, stop and check that the wind isn't changing. In this case, it was.

- Bluebottles can get stuck on kite lines and they're impossible to get off without stinging youself

In other news, I got a new harness! I'd been holding out until I was going upwind consistently and was using a very floppy secondhand Dakine Chameleon that was a bit big and just didn't fit me that well. The difference is absolutely night and day, I'm so glad I did it. Mystic Warrior, if anyone wants to know. It's not exotic, but I'm stoked.

Tomorrow at botany is looking amazing! Very keen to get amongst it.

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SibboV1 said..

sidtinney said..

- Bluebottles can get stuck on kite lines and they're impossible to get off without stinging youself

Do they slide down the lines and then flap around near the bar? That would be slightly off-putting!

No, thank goodness! A few got stuck up near the kite, maybe 2/3 of the way along the lines. They just flopped about there.

Thanks to the dozens of downloops they had a hell of a ride!

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Yeww, what a Saturday in Sydney. So much fun!- Overexcitement doesn't help anybody. I was so keen to get amongst it I set up my bar back to front and had to do it again. Rookie.

- Slide turns are ok maybe 3/5ths of the time. I'd ask for help, but I seemed to be having different problems every time so I'm not even sure what to ask. I'm pretty sure this is just going to come down to timing, which will only come with practice!

- Jumping is an awesome feeling. I only started trying right at the end of the day, even though I probably only got half a foot of air it's still so good to feel the power of the kite lifting you up! Stuck a few landings, but there's a lot more work to be done here.

- I had 2 really bad launches towards the end of the day. Once I somehow triggered my QR just after takeoff, and another time I was too far upwind of the kite and got dragged a few metres. Thankfully the beach was far less crowded than it had been and no one was in real danger, but it was a good lesson not to get lazy, especially on land.

- I also noticed lots of things slipping as I got more tired. Upwind riding = no walk of shame = no breaks until you come in. I was having far too many dumb crashes right at the end of the day and got a bit annoyed with myself.

Overall, so stoked on today. Met a few more people on the beach which was nice. Wind is a bit all over the place over the next week, hopefully I can get out and make the most of it!

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sidtinney said..
- Slide turns are ok maybe 3/5ths of the time. I'd ask for help, but I seemed to be having different problems every time so I'm not even sure what to ask. I'm pretty sure this is just going to come down to timing, which will only come with practice!

Very likely to be just timing. Don't be afraid of slowing it down to focus on each part, then speed up again a little bit each time when it feels like its coming together. You also want to err on the side of falling backwards (on your ass) rather than going over the top of the board. Makes it WAY quicker to recover from.

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sidtinney said..
- Jumping is an awesome feeling. I only started trying right at the end of the day, even though I probably only got half a foot of air it's still so good to feel the power of the kite lifting you up! Stuck a few landings, but there's a lot more work to be done here.

The great thing about boosting is that each 1/2 metre higher feels like a whole new world of fun. Once again its mostly about timing.

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sidtinney said..
- I also noticed lots of things slipping as I got more tired. Upwind riding = no walk of shame = no breaks until you come in. I was having far too many dumb crashes right at the end of the day and got a bit annoyed with myself.

In general you should be having less energy output once you can consistently go upwind as the walk of shame is surprisingly draining, as is doing multiple water starts and holding a kite in waist deep water. The problem is that even though your body isn't as tired, your mind is doing mental backflips to keep up with the intense learning experiences. Come in, share the stoke, take on some fluids, reflect on what's working and what's not, set some goals and hit another session.

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sidtinney said..
Overall, so stoked on today. Met a few more people on the beach which was nice. Wind is a bit all over the place over the next week, hopefully I can get out and make the most of it!

Sharing the stoke and chatting with other kiters is REALLY worthwhile. Keep at it!

VRBones, you're a legend.

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VRBones said..
Very likely to be just timing. Don't be afraid of slowing it down to focus on each part, then speed up again a little bit each time when it feels like its coming together. You also want to err on the side of falling backwards (on your ass) rather than going over the top of the board. Makes it WAY quicker to recover from.

After a few more days of working on them I've got it fairly consistently down. I worked out the part about falling backwards vs forwards very quickly!

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VRBones said..
In general you should be having less energy output once you can consistently go upwind as the walk of shame is surprisingly draining, as is doing multiple water starts and holding a kite in waist deep water. The problem is that even though your body isn't as tired, your mind is doing mental backflips to keep up with the intense learning experiences. Come in, share the stoke, take on some fluids, reflect on what's working and what's not, set some goals and hit another session.

Yep. A few muesli bars and an apple (plus a drink bottle) are now a mandatory part of the kitebag. Makes a huge difference when you're out for 5, 6hrs!

Cheers once again for your encouragement and tips.

Wind's up again this Saturday. I'm looking forward to hopefully smashing out some higher jumps!

trying to get 313's and kl3's down yesterday.
just found out this morning i forgot to do my stretches!
guess who can hardly walk, hoooray for being old.

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rogerdodge51 said..
Really enjoying this thread as a noobie, old fart, very much in learning mode. Here's a little insight to my experience that doesn't seem to have been covered. I have had a good few lessons and have now been sent off, sans instructor, to practice. Went to the local kite surf shop and bought some second hand gear (12M Cabrinha Switchblade). Couldn't see the sense in bashing hell out of new kit. On the water I found I was continually getting hoisted and dragged, drinking copious gallons of Broadwater. I couldn't work out why I struggled to control the kite once on my own. As soon as I took my eyes off it the bugger turned and bit me. I put it down to being too impatient and keen to get going Without taking time to get set up. After watching all the instructional YouTube vids I could find I finally decided to check my line lengths and found the front lines 10cm longer than the rear ones so I adjusted them to equal length. I haven't had a chance yet to properly test the gear since but I am just hoping it will give me some more control over my kite otherwise I still have a shed load of practice before I really get going. By the way many greateful thanks for all the help and advice from the kiters at Shearwater you're terrific, especially the guys who so often rescue my board and hat !!!

If it's an older Switchy it's probably a good idea check for wear in the bridle lines and pulleys too.
The pulleys will wear unevenly, become sticky and effect handling. Bridle lines will wear at the section that constantly runs through the pulley.
Measure bridle line lengths and compare left and right side of the kite. Uneven lengths will effect handling.
Check the lines, particularly if they are more than 2 years old and you don't know their history. Look for wear at the loop below the stitching. If they have a little plastic sleeve this can eventually cut the line at that point.

If the kite was owned by a freestyler who loved unhooked kite loops then the lines will have taken a hiding.

Any newbs starting up this season?

After my lessons in January this year i tore my calf muscle playing tennis and missed the rest of the season. Have been out 5 times since the beginning of November and am starting to feel more comfortable with water starting. Instead of doing a power stroke and hanging on for dear life it feels more relaxed and natural now. Not as easy going to the right as the left though.

Lessons learnt:
Dont get overzealous on your first water-start of the season. I got launched about 10 feet in the air and landed in waist deep water on my right leg. Jarred the **** out of my heel which has bone bruising and is still sore to walk on. Was lucky i didnt break my leg.
Buy a smaller kite! On those days when the wind is really kicking up the last thing you want to do is sitout because you are overpowered.
If there is no-one to help you land your kite when you come in, be patient. I decided after 5 minutes of waiting that i might practise self-rescue. End result was my lines getting a real mess and drifting downwind about 300m and needing a local to help turn my kite over.
Watch a progression dvd before going out for the first time. Helps reinforce all the beginner things you learn from lessons. I stupidly tried to help a woman land her kite, and i didnt grab the leading edge, resulting in an embarrasing effort with her kite doing sommersaults on my head.
Practising body dragging upwind is never time wasted. Have had to retrieve my board a few times now and the bloody thing is never downwind!

Well I am hopeful to be able to get up on board before the end of this season, as Redcliffe is my haunt my question is as I struggle to get the board on my feet with the kite still under control should I be in ankle deep water or waist deep to start???

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ajs18s said..
Well I am hopeful to be able to get up on board before the end of this season, as Redcliffe is my haunt my question is as I struggle to get the board on my feet with the kite still under control should I be in ankle deep water or waist deep to start???

i like to water start in chest deep water now. Did my first water start for the season in waist deep water (which was the 1st one in 10 months) and i had way too much power in diving the kite. Got lifted out of the water above head height and landed in shallow water and jarred the crap out of my right heel. Have been told the bruising to the heel takes a LONG time to go away and 4 weeks on i still cant run on it.

So at least with chest deep water you can stand up if you want, but should you mess up the water start youve got more cushion to your stack it in.

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ajs18s said..
Well I am hopeful to be able to get up on board before the end of this season, as Redcliffe is my haunt my question is as I struggle to get the board on my feet with the kite still under control should I be in ankle deep water or waist deep to start???

At least waist deep - the deeper the better for safety reasons.
You should be aiming to be up on the board after 1 or 2 sessions not 1 season.
Fly the kite straight above you with one hand in the middle of the bar and the
other hand helping you put your feet in the straps.
Hold one strap with your free hand while you put your foot in the other strap then
hold the grab handle while you get the other foot in.
The kite should just about sit there by itself if you have the lines equal length and kite bridles even.
Once your feet are in ,put both hands on the bar and slowly move the kite back and forth to get some pressure keeping the board firmly on your feet.
If you slowly increase this pressure by diving the kite a bit more each time you will become more and more comfortable until you know how much is needed to pull you out of the water.
Then your away on your first Run - Good luck.

Was also thinking of hitting the cable park but a bit $$$

anyone got some advice for rigging up my bar and lines without getting tangles? I do everything that im meant to by connecting the back lines first, then doing the front lines last, and i still seem to always end up with tangles. So bloody annoying.

So, I just read through the whole thread in a few hours (bless boring days at work...) and decided to finally sign up and contribute.
Some great stories and tips in here, I'll just add my 2 cents for a few things:

rigging up and tangled lines: firstly, wrap up your lines in a tight figure 8 around the bar and secure them properly. Will save a world of hurt. I run my lines from the kite downwind, then stand with my back to the bar, feet left and right of the front lines, but inside the back lines. that way, I can pick up all 4 lines, and have my legs basically separating them. Back lines run on the outside, front lines between my legs. front and back line of the same side in each hand. (I wish I had a photo, it's proving kinda hard to describe...) Then I walk towards the kite and the lines get magically spearated. If I hit a tangle, I put a hand out, palm up and run the lines in the order they will connect to the kite between my fingers and use the other hand to untangle.

The other thing I found really useful is to "deconstruct" the elements you are struggling with. Managing the board, kite, current, and everything else at the same time is pretty full on sometimes. so, if you're struggling to put the board on your feet, take the kite out of the equation. Sit in the water, put one hand in the air, put the board on your feet with the other hand, until you can do it blind.Yes, it will look silly, but it helps.
If you struggle with the correct board position for the water start, sit on a bench with the board on your feet, lean back and pull your legs up like you would for a start. Also a pretty good exercise for your abs, haha.
I could go on, practise the kite waterstart movement while bodydragging, or on the beach without a board (gently, so you get pulled on your feet without going flying).
So many things in kiting are pure muscle memory, I found this method has helped me a lot with the very basic skills.

Having said that, I'm still battling waterstarts, I can get up in both directions, but I have a tendency to go too much upwind too quickly and kill all my speed. And the worst about it is, I know what I'm doing wrong, but I'm not sure how to do it differently. Persistence is key I guess. Unlearning bad habits is definitely proving harder that learning something from scratch.